§1Ἥκω λιπὼν Αἴγαιον ἁλμυρὸν βάθος §2πόντου Ποσειδῶν, ἔνθα Νηρῄδων χοροὶ §3κάλλιστον ἴχνος ἐξελίσσουσιν ποδός.
I have come, leaving the Aegean salty deep of the sea, I, Poseidon, where the choruses of Nereids unfold their most beautiful footstep.
§4ἐξ οὗ γὰρ ἀμφὶ τήνδε Τρωικὴν χθόνα §5Φοῖβός τε κἀγὼ λαΐνους πύργους πέριξ §6ὀρθοῖσιν ἔθεμεν κανόσιν, οὔποτʼ ἐκ φρενῶν §7εὔνοιʼ ἀπέστη τῶν ἐμῶν Φρυγῶν πόλει· §8ἣ νῦν καπνοῦται καὶ πρὸς Ἀργείου δορὸς §9ὄλωλε πορθηθεῖσʼ· ὁ γὰρ Παρνάσιος §10Φωκεὺς Ἐπειός, μηχαναῖσι Παλλάδος §11ἐγκύμονʼ ἵππον τευχέων ξυναρμόσας, §12πύργων ἔπεμψεν ἐντὸς ὀλέθριον βρέτας· §15ἔρημα δʼ ἄλση καὶ θεῶν ἀνάκτορα §16φόνῳ καταρρεῖ· πρὸς δὲ κρηπίδων βάθροις §17πέπτωκε Πρίαμος Ζηνὸς ἑρκείου θανών.
For ever since, around this Trojan land, Phoebus and I set stone towers round about with straight rules, never from my heart has goodwill departed for my city of Phrygians; which now smoulders and, by the Argive spear, has perished, sacked; for the Parnassian Phocian Epeius, by the devices of Pallas, having fitted together a horse pregnant with weapons, sent the destructive image within the towers; and the sacred groves are deserted and the temples of the gods flow with blood; and at the base of the altar steps Priam has fallen dead before the altar of Zeus Herceus.
§18πολὺς δὲ χρυσὸς Φρύγιά τε σκυλεύματα §19πρὸς ναῦς Ἀχαιῶν πέμπεται· μένουσι δὲ §20πρύμνηθεν οὖρον, ὡς δεκασπόρῳ χρόνῳ §21ἀλόχους τε καὶ τέκνʼ εἰσίδωσιν ἄσμενοι, §22οἳ τήνδʼ ἐπεστράτευσαν Ἕλληνες πόλιν.
And much gold and Phrygian spoils are being sent to the ships of the Achaeans; and they await a wind from the stern, so that after a ten-year time they may joyfully see their wives and children, those Greeks who campaigned against this city.
§23ἐγὼ δέ — νικῶμαι γὰρ Ἀργείας θεοῦ §24Ἥρας Ἀθάνας θʼ, αἳ συνεξεῖλον Φρύγας — §25λείπω τὸ κλεινὸν Ἴλιον βωμούς τʼ ἐμούς· §26ἐρημία γὰρ πόλιν ὅταν λάβῃ κακή, §27νοσεῖ τὰ τῶν θεῶν οὐδὲ τιμᾶσθαι θέλει.
And I—for I am defeated by the Argive goddess Hera, and by Athena, who together destroyed the Phrygians— leave famous Ilium and my altars; for when ruinous desolation takes a city, the worship of the gods sickens and does not wish to be honored.
And with many wailings of captive women Scamander resounds as they are allotted to masters.
And some the Arcadians, others the Thessalian people have obtained by lot, and the sons of Theseus, leaders of the Athenians.
§32ὅσαι δʼ ἄκληροι Τρῳάδων, ὑπὸ στέγαις §33ταῖσδʼ εἰσί, τοῖς πρώτοισιν ἐξῃρημέναι §34στρατοῦ, σὺν αὐταῖς δʼ ἡ Λάκαινα Τυνδαρὶς §35Ἑλένη, νομισθεῖσʼ αἰχμάλωτος ἐνδίκως.
And all those Trojan women who are unallotted are under these roofs, selected for the chiefs of the army, and with them the Spartan daughter of Tyndareus, Helen, rightly deemed a captive.
§36τὴν δʼ ἀθλίαν τήνδʼ εἴ τις εἰσορᾶν θέλει, §37πάρεστιν, Ἑκάβην κειμένην πυλῶν πάρος, §38δάκρυα χέουσαν πολλὰ καὶ πολλῶν ὕπερ· §39ᾗ παῖς μὲν ἀμφὶ μνῆμʼ Ἀχιλλείου τάφου §40λάθρα τέθνηκε τλημόνως Πολυξένη· §41φροῦδος δὲ Πρίαμος καὶ τέκνʼ·
And if anyone wishes to look upon this wretched woman, she is here, Hecuba lying before the gates, shedding many tears both for many reasons; for her daughter Polyxena, at the monument of Achilles' tomb, has died miserably in secret; and Priam and her children are gone.
ἣν δὲ παρθένον §42μεθῆκʼ Ἀπόλλων δρομάδα Κασάνδραν ἄναξ, §43τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τε παραλιπὼν τό τʼ εὐσεβὲς §44γαμεῖ βιαίως σκότιον Ἀγαμέμνων λέχος.
And the maiden whom Lord Apollo left to run wild, Cassandra, disregarding both the god's law and piety, Agamemnon marries by force to a secret bed.
But, oh city once prosperous, farewell to me, and polished towers!
εἴ σε μὴ διώλεσεν §47Παλλὰς Διὸς παῖς, ἦσθʼ ἂν ἐν βάθροις ἔτι.
If you had not been destroyed by Pallas, daughter of Zeus, you would still be standing on your foundations.
§48ἔξεστι τὸν γένει μὲν ἄγχιστον πατρὸς §49μέγαν τε δαίμονʼ ἐν θεοῖς τε τίμιον, §50λύσασαν ἔχθραν τὴν πάρος, προσεννέπειν;
Athena: Is it permitted, to one who is closest in birth to my father, a great divinity and honored among the gods, to speak, having dissolved our former enmity?
Poseidon: It is permitted; for kindred associations, Queen Athena, are no small charm to the mind.
Athena: I appreciate your gentle temper; and I bring to you words common to myself and to you, Lord.
Poseidon: Do you bring some new message from one of the gods, either from Zeus or from some other deity?
Athena: No, but for the sake of Troy, where we stand, I have come to your power, so that I may make it common.
Poseidon: Have you indeed, casting out your former enmity, now come to pity her that is burnt to ashes by fire?
Athena: Return first to that point; will you share my counsel and join in wishing what I desire to achieve?
Poseidon: Most certainly; but I also wish to learn your purpose: have you come for the sake of the Achaeans or the Phrygians?
Athena: I wish to gladden my former enemies, the Trojans, and to inflict a bitter return upon the army of the Achaeans.
Poseidon: Why do you leap thus now to one way, now to another, and hate too much and love whomever you happen to?
§69οὐκ οἶσθʼ ὑβρισθεῖσάν με καὶ ναοὺς ἐμούς;
Athena: Do you not know that I and my temples have been insulted?
§70οἶδʼ, ἡνίκʼ Αἴας εἷλκε Κασάνδραν βίᾳ.
Poseidon: I know, when Ajax dragged Cassandra by force.
§71κοὐδέν γʼ Ἀχαιῶν ἔπαθεν οὐδʼ ἤκουσʼ ὕπο.
Athena: And yet he suffered nothing from the Achaeans, nor even heard reproof.
§72καὶ μὴν ἔπερσάν γʼ Ἴλιον τῷ σῷ σθένει.
Poseidon: And yet they sacked Ilium by your power.
§73τοιγάρ σφε σὺν σοὶ βούλομαι δρᾶσαι κακῶς.
Athena: Therefore I wish to do them harm with you.
§74ἕτοιμʼ ἃ βούλῃ τἀπʼ ἐμοῦ.
Poseidon: What you wish is ready on my part.
δράσεις δὲ τί;
But what will you do?
§75δύσνοστον αὐτοῖς νόστον ἐμβαλεῖν θέλω.
Athena: I wish to inflict on them a return that is no return.
§76ἐν γῇ μενόντων ἢ καθʼ ἁλμυρὰν ἅλα;
Poseidon: While they remain on land, or on the salty sea?
§77ὅταν πρὸς οἴκους ναυστολῶσʼ ἀπʼ Ἰλίου.
Athena: When they sail towards home from Ilium.
§78καὶ Ζεὺς μὲν ὄμβρον καὶ χάλαζαν ἄσπετον §79πέμψει, δνοφώδη τʼ αἰθέρος φυσήματα· §80ἐμοὶ δὲ δώσειν φησὶ πῦρ κεραύνιον, §81βάλλειν Ἀχαιοὺς ναῦς τε πιμπράναι πυρί.
And Zeus indeed will send rain and unspeakable hail, and dark blasts of the upper air; and to me he says he will give the thunderbolt's fire, to strike the Achaeans and burn their ships with fire.